Dime’s 2010 NBA Free Agent Tracker

Just how many NBA free agents were on the market this summer? Put it this way: Even if two of the three best players in the world hadn’t been part of the pool — i.e., LeBron James and Dwyane Wade — 2010 would still qualify as the most important free agent class in League history. Looking at the NBA before the signing bonanza, most teams only had a handful of players actually under contract, while everyone else was either looking for work or having work come find them.

So if you need help keeping up, we’ve got your back.

For Dime’s 2010 Free Agent Tracker, we put together the master list of every free agent in the League, then we broke them up into tiers: From the franchise-caliber superstars down to the guys scrapping for jobs who could find themselves in Europe or the D-League next season. Throughout the free agency period, we’ve kept the list updated with info on who is talking to which teams, who’s signed, who’s sealed, and who’s delivered. With training camps now getting underway and mostly everybody knowing what they’re doing, here’s the latest update:

TIER 1Franchise superstars. You don’t just build teams around these guys, you build championship-caliber teams. They aren’t just the face of your franchise, they’re the icons who may end up with their statue outside the arena someday.

TIER 2Maybe not full-on superstars, but they’re at least All-Star material. They could be the focal point of an OK team, but you’d rather have them as a No. 2 or No. 3 on a great team.

* Carlos Boozer — Signed five-year, $76 million deal with Chicago
* Chris Bosh — Signed 6-year, $110 million deal with Miami
* Rudy Gay — Signed 5-year, $81.6 million deal with Memphis
* Joe Johnson — Signed 6-year, $123 million deal with Atlanta
* David Lee — Signed 6-year, $80 million deal with Golden State
* Amar’e Stoudemire — Signed 5-year, $100 million deal with New York

TIER 3Solid starters who could crack All-Star level given the right circumstances. They can help carry certain teams and will take over a game here and there, but at this point they’re ideally a third option at best.

* Ray Allen — Signed 2-year, $20 million deal with Boston
* Ray Felton — Signed 2-year, $15.8 million deal with New York
* Josh Howard — Signed 1-year, $4 million deal with Washington
* Tracy McGrady — Signed 1-year, $1.4 million deal with Detroit
* Jermaine O’Neal — Signed 2-year, $12 million deal with Boston
* Shaquille O’Neal — Signed 2-year, $2.3 million deal with Boston
* Richard Jefferson — Signed 4-year, $39 million deal with San Antonio
* John Salmons — Signed 5-year, $39 million deal with Milwaukee
* Luis Scola (R) — Signed 5-year, $47 million deal with Houston

TIER 4High-class role players. Most likely starters, they are 100 times more valuable on championship-contending teams than they are on middle-of-the-pack or teams going nowhere.

TIER 6Nothing to break the luxury tax for, but they should have an NBA job come training camp. Whether it’s shooting, defense, bringing the ball past mid-court without turning it over, or using six fouls, they usually can do at least one thing well enough to stay in the mix. The guys that frustrated streetball pros hate.

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I think Psquared is a little too high on the list. He seems as if his career is dwindling down so I can’t see him as somebody I want to build my franchise around.

By: Royal

07.01.2010 @ 9:16 AM

Damn I thought I would never see the day when Allen Iverson shares a list with the likes of Kwame Brown……

By: Cesar

07.01.2010 @ 9:16 AM

Its crazy seeing a former NBA League MVP and Future HOFer listed in that tier 7 list.

By: The Journeyman

07.01.2010 @ 9:19 AM

lol some of those Tier 7 names had me laughing

Kwame
AI
Adam Morrison
Steven Hunter (that’s a shame)

By: Celts Fan

07.01.2010 @ 9:23 AM

Damn, AI in tier 7. That’s coooold. He’s a tier 3 guy at this point in his career if he could ever check his ego. They’d rename the 6th Man trophy after him by the time he was done if he’d just accept a bench role. Too bad…

oh, and Tier 1 needed to stop at DWade and LeBron. Dirk and Pierce are both 32. LOVE Pierce and respect the hell outta Dirk, but both are #2s right now, much less when the 3-5 year deals they’re gonna get run out.

By: Austin Burton

07.01.2010 @ 9:25 AM

Pierce and Dirk were just at the helm of title-contending teams this year. I think they have at least one more year of Tier-1 level ball in them, hence the ranking.

By: dmitry of jersey

07.01.2010 @ 9:36 AM

ehhh Dirk’s team got smacked in round 1 twice in last three years. not sure how that is title-contending.

By: rangerjohn

07.01.2010 @ 9:37 AM

i gotta say, you missed rich jefferson, and scola is every bit the same tier as david lee. hell they are the same players just one is ugly as fook and the other is just ugly.

By: Austin Burton

07.01.2010 @ 9:41 AM

@dmitry — Getting Top-3 seeds in the West is title-contending in my book.

@rangerjohn — Good catch. RJ’s late opt-out was a surprise.

By: cru_thik305

07.01.2010 @ 9:47 AM

wow, its sad to see a.i. that low. the same tier as kwame and mbenga? wow

By: sweetv0mit

07.01.2010 @ 9:48 AM

Met 7/1? Lol Too early I can tell

By: netstar

07.01.2010 @ 9:48 AM

i never thought i would see the day where AI is listed as “tier 7”

By: dmitry of jersey

07.01.2010 @ 9:48 AM

I guess we have different books then… in my book contending for a title in late may/june is title-contending.

By: that dude

07.01.2010 @ 10:12 AM

Iverson that low ya are bugging straight up.

By: dagwaller

07.01.2010 @ 11:10 AM

@ dmitri – ok, so by your book, Scalabrine and Ray Allen should each be up one tier. Thanks for your input.

By: Darkness

07.01.2010 @ 11:27 AM

I’m impressed Dime – I know this must have taken awhile to do. I didn’t realize that outside of the superstars, it seems liek damn near half of the league might turn over if a lot of these lesser players swith teams. It takes superstars AND role-players to win champinonships.

If you’re interested in David Lee’s thoughts on free agency and more, head over to:

Pierce may have been on a title-contending team but I’m not sure you can say he was at the helm…that’s Rondo’s team now. Tier 1 should be legitimate max-contract guys only…any GM that gives PP a max deal at this point in his career is a buffoon. That being said, the Clippers will probably throw buckets of money at him when they strike out in the Lebron/Wade sweepstakes.

By: dimemagreader

07.01.2010 @ 12:00 PM

Paul Pierce is tier 1? Tier 1 players aren’t bitches who are carried off the court and put in a wheelchair.

By: Austin Burton

07.01.2010 @ 12:30 PM

Wasn’t D-Wade taken off the court in a wheelchair once?

By: Me

07.01.2010 @ 2:01 PM

tiers 5,6,7 benefit from tier 1 and 2.

at or over the cap teams will sign them for cheap. i’d say the majority of them end up in the l next year just because of that.

By: David Brandon

07.01.2010 @ 2:57 PM

who the hell is Ian Mahinmi?
and is mustafa shakur still in the L?? daaamn…

By: Claw

07.01.2010 @ 3:18 PM

Tier 1 is just Lebron and Wade, seeing Dirk and Pierce there is just not right. Tier 2 would be Dirk, Pierce, Boozer, Bosh, Amare, JJ.

How the hell is McGrady in tier 3? Really? Hasn’t played in 3 years, I’d take AI over him. Tier 6 or 7.

Do like Tyrus Thomas, Mike Miller, Wes Mathews being higher and Amundson should be tier 7, he’s a 11th 12th man and I’m a Suns fan.

By: 92021SpurMD

07.01.2010 @ 3:25 PM

I agree Austin, Dirk should be up there. It’s not his fault they get bounced early, dude puts up his numbers and MORE!! My spurs beat his team this year, not him. If I was Chicago, MIA, New York, or even the Clips, i’d think about Dirk and Amare together if I can’t get LeBron or Wade. If i was Chicago, i would STRONGLY consider Dirk and Amare with D-rose. How insane would coaches go trying to guard them three in the pick and roll? Nightmare!

By: darkdefender

07.02.2010 @ 1:49 AM

stop arguing about the damn tiers

if u dont like it, use ur imagination and pretend player X is in tier Y

shit

Good list Dime – this is now my one-stop free agency shop

By: kicks

07.02.2010 @ 3:44 AM

Co-sign with 24 completely. The best comprehensive list I’ve seen anywhere, and the updates are on point. Thanks Dime!

By: broomtsicks

07.02.2010 @ 8:37 AM

Patty Mills has potential to be a tier 3 player, given the court time. be interesting to see where he ends up

By: laura

07.02.2010 @ 6:25 PM

AI tier 7?!?! come one thats a little harsh…..

By: Steve Pio

07.03.2010 @ 7:04 PM

Please do this every year Dime. It’s amazing

By: LozZz

07.05.2010 @ 11:59 PM

Patty Mills is tier 5 at worst.

By: vic

07.06.2010 @ 12:55 AM

Guys let’s say we had a healthy T-mac easily a T1. Ill take a healthy him over PP any day. Let’s us not forget grant hill was out for much longer

By: jackass

07.06.2010 @ 1:02 AM

I will drop dead the day I see Dirk Nowitzki’s statue anywhere in the world.

By: arisloco

07.06.2010 @ 2:07 AM

@AB

D-Wade was held off a wheelchair due to a true injury and not by faking it (ala PP). Are yuo hanging on his nuts now?

@30

True that. Grant Hill was out for most of his career and came back healthy and was still able to guard some of the teams’ best players. It just frustrates me of people hating on T-Mac for obtaining many injuries from carrying his team all his life. It just so happened that most of his teammates suck that he had to carry all the scoring load.

By: $filmoney$

07.06.2010 @ 3:59 AM

JO in tier 3 but AI’s in the last tier? WTF? Even worse the likes of sean may and Oleksiy Pecherov in tier 6 but AI in tier 7? How about the man formerly known as “theo ratliffs expiring contract” & Darko Milicic in tier 5 but AI in tier 7? Seriously though, WTF?

By: Joe Cooley High

07.06.2010 @ 9:37 AM

#32 — How exactly do you know Pierce was “faking” his injury? Were you there? Did you talk to the Celtics trainers afterwards? Did Tawanna tell you that? DID TAWANNA TELL YOU THAT?

Enjoyable read….but Ben Wallace as a high class role player? What is this, 2004? Great write up, minus that part. Keep uo the awesome work!

By: andy

07.09.2010 @ 1:52 PM

allen iverson is better then ray allen anyday

By: JustHoop

07.10.2010 @ 12:45 AM

Morrow to the Nets, great pick-up if reports are true

By: Bob R

07.10.2010 @ 1:43 PM

Have the Lakers talked to Barnes, Mcgrady, or s. Oneal yet?

By: Thomas w

07.11.2010 @ 6:35 PM

Rafer that low he was in the finals a year ago…….man people will use you………..

By: Stunnaboy09

07.12.2010 @ 4:45 PM

I may have over-reacted about the Heat, seems to be an abundance of scrubs and minimum players available to fill out the roster.

I really hope they sign Adam Morrison and Scal, the high fives are championship worthy

By: Larry

07.12.2010 @ 6:04 PM

A.I. should be in 3 if Josh Howard and tmac are.

By: datdood

07.12.2010 @ 6:25 PM

amir johnson’s contract is insane. no way he deserved that money. he should be taking his agent out to steak dinners every night for the rest of his life.

can anyone think of a bigger fall from glory than ai? guy was one of the top 5 marquee players in the league as far as jersey’s, ticket sales, endorsements, and now he is considered done. it’s a shame he will never have that final retirement game to go out like a legend (i still remember that last reggie miller game). ai at least deserves that…

By: Brazzle

07.12.2010 @ 7:28 PM

Who would of predicted Joe Johnson would of made the most money this summer?

By: flavur

07.13.2010 @ 10:06 PM

Matt Barnes is not talking to LA stop saying he is

By: Random

07.13.2010 @ 11:16 PM

why you violated my man A.I. like that tier 7 thats messed up

By: Peter

07.14.2010 @ 4:07 AM

A clear reason that my Warriors are mired in perpetual mediocrity: three first-round draft picks in Tier-7. They are all under-skilled, under-sized, or under-motivated big men: Adonal Foyle, Ike Diogu, and Patrick O’Bryant.